RUSSIA: AvtoVAZ exports for 2005 seen flat year on year

Russia's largest car manufacturer AvtoVAZ plans to export 90,000-95,000 cars in 2005, flat on the year, Mikhail Moskalyov, the company's vice president for strategic and corporate management said, according to Prime-Tass.

In addition to that, the company plans to sell 600,000-610,000 cars on the domestic market this year, Moskalyov said, adding that this figure does not include those assembled from car kits in the cities of Izhevsk and Syzran.

Moskalyov said that in monetary terms, AvtoVAZ sales were at 50.9 billion rubles in January-May. However, the company increased its output in May on the year, he added.

The company produced 52,802 cars in May, AvtoVAZ said earlier without providing comparison. Car output in June is projected to be flat on the year, Moskalyov also said.

The company's output fell 3.6% on the year to 280,074 cars in January-May, the company said earlier this month.

AvtoVAZ exported 91,966 cars in 2004, up 2.6% on the year, while its domestic sales increased 2.5% on the year to 625,000 cars.

AvtoVAZ produced about 718,000 cars and 248,000 car assembly kits in 2004.